Access point used in wireless LAN system

Abstract

The access point used in the wireless LAN system acquires, from a network, an IP address of a management device that holds a list of wireless LAN control devices to each of which the access point can be subordinate, in response to an event start input, acquires the list from the management device via the network by using the IP address of the management device, and accesses at least one of the wireless LAN control devices registered in the list via the network and determines a wireless LAN control device to which the access point should be subordinate, based on a response sent from the at least one of the wireless LAN control devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An access point apparatus for a wireless network system, comprising:
 an internet protocol (IP) address acquisition portion that acquires, from a network, an IP address of a management device that holds a list of wireless control devices to each of which the access point apparatus can be subordinates; 
 a list acquisition portion that acquires the list from the management device via the network by using the IP address of the management device; and 
 a determination portion that transmits a packet including both a maximum TTL (Time To Live) value and a distance confirmation request message, to the wireless control devices registered in the list, and determines a wireless control device to which the access point apparatus is subordinate, based on a response received from the wireless control devices that have received the distance confirmation request message, 
 wherein the response includes a TTL value that is given by decrement of the maximum TTL value by one when the distance confirmation request message passes through a network node, and 
 wherein the determination portion determines the wireless control device from which the access point apparatus receives the response including the TTL value greater than each of the TTL values received from other wireless control devices, as the wireless control device to which the access point apparatus is subordinate. 
 
     
     
       2. The access point apparatus for a wireless network system according to  claim 1 , wherein the IP address acquisition portion acquires an IP address to be used by the access point apparatus and the IP address of the management device, from a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server that manages the IP address to be used by the access point apparatus. 
     
     
       3. The access point apparatus for a wireless network system according to  claim 1 , wherein the IP address acquisition portion acquires the IP address of the management device from a domain name system (DNS) server provided in the network. 
     
     
       4. The access point apparatus for a wireless network system according to  claim 1 , wherein the list acquisition portion acquires the list from a wireless LAN control device that holds the list as the management device. 
     
     
       5. The access point apparatus for a wireless network system according to  claim 1 , wherein the list acquisition portion acquires the list from a management server provided in the network as the management device. 
     
     
       6. A method of determining a wireless network control device to which an access point apparatus for a wireless system is subordinate, comprising:
 acquiring, from a network, an internet protocol (IP) address of a management device that holds a list of wireless control devices to each of which the access point apparatus can be subordinate; 
 acquiring the list from the management device via the network by using the IP address of the management device; 
 transmitting a packet including both a maximum TTL (Time To Live) value and a distance confirmation request message, to the wireless control devices registered in the list; and 
 determining a wireless control device to which the access point apparatus is subordinate, based on a response received from the wireless control devices that have received the distance confirmation request message, 
 wherein the response includes a TTL value that is given by decrement of the maximum TTL value by one when the distance confirmation request message passes through a network node, and 
 wherein the determining includes determining the wireless control device from which the access point apparatus receives the response including the TTL value greater than each of the TTL values received from other wireless control devices, as the wireless control device to which the access point apparatus is subordinate. 
 
     
     
       7. A wireless network system, comprising:
 an access point apparatus; 
 wireless control devices to which the access point apparatus can be subordinate; 
 a management device that manages a list in which the wireless control devices are registered; and 
 an address management device that manages an internet protocol (IP) address of the management device, 
 the access point apparatus executes: 
 acquiring the IP address of the management device from the address management device via a network; 
 acquiring the list from the management device via the network by using the IP address of the management device; 
 transmitting a packet including both a maximum TTL (Time To Live) value and a distance confirmation request message, to the wireless control devices registered in the list, and 
 determining a wireless control device to which the access point apparatus is subordinate, based on a response received from the wireless control devices that have received the distance confirmation request message, 
 wherein the response includes a TTL value that is given by decrement of the maximum TTL value by one when the distance confirmation request message passes through a network node, and 
 wherein the determining includes determining the wireless control device from which the access point apparatus receives the response including the TTL value greater than each of the TTL values received from other wireless control devices, as the wireless control device to which the access point apparatus is subordinate.